Brake head lug and socket wear element



May 19, 1942.

M. s. JOHNSON BRAKE HEAD LUG ANnsocKET WEAR ELEMENT Filed Jan. 13, 1941 '2 Sheets-Sheet l v M ay-19, I942. M. $.JOHN-SON 2,283,637

' BRAKE HEAD LU G AND SOCKET WEAR ELEMENT Filed Jan. 13, 1941 L2 Sheet-Sheet 2 h mgl IneniBr r rm' Patented May 19, 1942 BRAKE HEAD LUG AND SOCKET WEAR ELEMENT Malcolm S. Johnson, Chicago, IlL, assignor to Illinois Railway Equipment. Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois.

Application January 13, 1941, Serial No. 374,272

Claims.

My invention relates to combined wear takeup and wear resisting elements adapted to the standard type of link suspended brake head and brake shoe and has for its object the provision of means which may be easily applied to brake heads in use, whereby wear on the shoe supporting lug will be relieved and theshoe will be firmly supported by the brake head against vibration and whereby the undue play between the brake head and hanger, due to a worn socket in the head, will be eliminated.

My improved single piece element is especially adapted to take up the wear on brake heads in service and to eliminate the resultant play and slaps between the hanger and brake head and which at the same time will prevent disengagement of the brake head from the hanger,while also taking up the wear on the shoe supporting lug of the brake head; the element being adapted to maintain the proper relation'between the hanger and the brake head and to provide the comparatively snug relation between the brake head and shoe required by the A. A. R. rules, thus enabling the brake head to be continued in service and eliminating the expense of brake head replacement.

The invention also has for its object the provision of an element which is adapted to brake heads which have encountered varying degrees of wear and-which maybe easily applied to the brake head and arranged in looking engagement therewith to prevent its loss in the event'remov'al of the brake shoe becomes necessary.

The above enumerated objects and advantages, as well as other advantages inherent in the invention, will all be readily comprehended from the detailed description of the accompanying drawings wherein: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brake head with my improved element applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the wear element as viewed from the lower side.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the intermediate portion of a brake head with my improved element applied; a portion of the shoe also in section and a portion of: the shoe locking key also being shown.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a portion of ,a brake head and hanger with the wear element applied; a portion of the element and of the brake head being broken away and the latter shown in section.

Figure 5 is a perspective view ofa modified form of my improved wear element.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of a brake head and shoe with the modified form of wear element applied and shown in section and a portion of the shoe locking key in-elevation.

tendant loss of car in service.

My improved wear element is adapted for use on the standard type of brake heads at'present' in use on railroads of this country, being especially intended for the reclamation of worn brake heads and taking care of'wear both in the hanger receiving socket andon the shoe supporting lug of the brake head, thereby prolonging the life or usefulness of the head and eliminating the. expense of brakehead replacement and the at- Brake heads and brake shoes generallyiconsist ofmore or less roughcastings with certain tolerances in manufacture to enable easy insertion of the shoe lug between the vertically spaced lugs of the brake head which-are arranged at opposite sides of the throat or opening for insertion of the hanger into the hanger receiving socket of the brake head. As a result it is never possible under such conditions to obtain a tight -fi-t betweenthe brake shoeiand the brake head and consequently an undesirable excessplay is encountered which permits the shoe to-vibrate and causes the wear to rapidly increase infproportionto the amount of play between the shoe and head lugs and allows excess travel of the shoe'independently of. the head during brake application. As the-brake shoes and the-brake hanger are'of harder metal than the brake head;

the lugs'of the brake head as Well as the throat and head, in addition to the usual vibration, produced by the constant brake application when cars are'moved back and forth, with the result that the extent of the slaps are increased and greater and faster wear takes place. This wear enlarges the hanger receiving opening 'and'permits the head to slip ofi the hanger and into a position which interferes with proper brake application.

' My invention is designed to obviate the difficulti'esmentioned and in the embodiment disclosed in Figure'2 is shown stamped out of hard metal or sheet steel to provide thehead lug protecting plate, portion or section l5 which extends throughout the shoe supporting lug 16 of the brake head I"!, as shown in Figure 1. The plate section I5 is provided with a. comparatively straight forward edge in keeping with the forward side or face of the head lug and offset vertically intermediate of its ends, asshown at l8,

to correspond with the lateral spacing between with the usual passage or opening in the head-- lug for receiving the locking key 22 whereby the' shoe I9 is secured to the head. The opening 2| is preferably made by partially severing the metal of plate section 15 in order to provide a more or less resilient tongue 23, integral with the forward wall of the opening, which is bent downwardly to enter the key receiving opening.

in the head-lug l6 and effect frictional holdin engagement with the shoe locking key 22.

The ends of. the plate section l at their rear longitudinal. edgesare shown 'arcuate to correspond somewhat to the usual curved sides of the shoe lugs, thus adapting the plate section to the depression worn into the head-lug by the shoe lugs..

The element when stamped from sheetmetal willbe of more or less uniform thickness and may be employed with unworn heads for the purpose of taking up undesirable play between the head and shoe as well as to prevent wear of the head-lug; but'in cases where the headlug has become excessively worn at opposite sides of the key receiving opening, I provide the ends of'the plate section l5 with the supplemental sechanger socket of the brake head and is provided at itslends with depending 1egs-26, 26 adapted 'to overla'p'the sides of the brake head andto be immovably secured thereto by bending the ends of the legs about theside wall portions 'of the'head at'opposite sides of the socket'as shown in Figure 1. With the legs 26 bent about the extended side wall portions-of the head, it

is apparent that the wear element will be-firmly locked to thehead against movement and misplacement or loss of the element prevented during removal and replacement of the brake shoe. The plate section 25' preferably is dished or concaved transversely to correspond with the lower curved surface of the hanger receiving socket as shown in Figure 3 and this plate section'2-5 is united with the lug plate section l5 by the vertically disposed strap section 21 which is formed integral with the rear longitudinal edge of thelug plate section I5, intermediate of its ends, and with the forward longitudinal edge of the hanger socket plate section 25, see Figure 2.

The strap section 2'! extends upwardly from the plate section (the upper surface of the head lug 5 being somewhat beneath the throat or opening of the hanger socket) with its upper "end curving overthe lip at the opening to'izhe socket and downwardly to the dished plate section 25, as shown in Figure 3. Y I

Initially the brake heads are madewith opposingly disposed lips at the opening to the socket the socket toward'the rear of the shoe. permits the brake beam to drop or move downwardly out of proper brake applying position and so as to prevent the hanger, the lower end whereof is shown at 28, moving out of the socket when in suspended position. The hanger, which is of harder metal than the cast brake head, has more or less play in the socket and consequently, in addition to the usual vibration, there is slapping action between the hanger and brake head as a result of frequent brake application when cars are moved back and forth which produces an up and down slap on the brake beam and head which in turn increases the wear on the head and particularly at the orifice or throat of the hanger socket, thereby increasing the orifice or throat and allowing the hanger to move out of This in the event of loss of the shoe to drop on the railand cause derailment or serious dificulty.

With my improved wear element, the undesirable play between the hanger and brakehead is prevented and a restricted opening at the side of the, socket is maintained, as clearly shown in Figure 3, which prevents the hanger moving out of the socket. As my improved wear element (through the addition of the supplemental sections 24, or in the case of a drop forging by increasing the thickness of the ends of theplate .section I5) is also adapted to worn heads, it is also involves a hanger'socket A the ends of the lug section 29 are provided with apparent that the restricted opening to the hanger socket is restored and disengagement of the head from the hanger prevented in the event of loss of the brake shoe, as the wear element is firmly held on the head by bending the lower ends of the legs'26 beneath the flanges or ribs on the sides of the head in the manner shown in Figures-1 and 4. I

'In Figures 5 and 6, I show a modification of the wear element whereby the hanger slack ls taken-up at the hanger bearing portion of the hanger socket. The wear element consists of a lug section 29 which'is substantially similar in construction to the lug section l5' shown in Figure 2 so as to-conform to the shoe lug engaging portions of the head lug I 6 except'that it is not shown provided with the supplemental wear take-up sectoral portions or plates and the depending legs 30, 30 which are adapted to engage the opposite sides of the head lug l6 and their lower ends then bent beneath the head lug I6 after the element has been applied, as shown in Figure 6.

The wear element, as illustrated in Figure 5, is adaptedfor use on an unworn or new brake head to preventwear on the brake head and also to take up the initial play between the head lug and the shoe lug. The lug section 29 is centrally 'provided with a locking key receiving opening. 2! with the depending resilient tongue 23' at the forward side of the opening'Zl and the rear longitudinal edge is provided with an integral upstanding strap section 3! which terminates at its upper end in the hanger socket section 32 curved transversely to fit the upper side of the hanger receiving socket in the brake head, as shown in Figure 6, and hence provide bearing for the hanger 28. With this construction the slack between the hanger and the brake head section 3| provides a closure for the throat or opening of the socket and prevents disengageconsist of a stamping of sheetmetal and hence of more or less uniform thickness so that in instances where the brake head has become excessively worn the thickness of the ends of the lug section are increased by adding the supplemental sectoral sections as shown in Figure 2; or the wear element may be a forging with the lug sections made of the desired thickness. The element thus not only affords a reclamation of worn brake heads but also prolongs the life of brake heads, as the element takes care of wear at the two points where most wear is encountered; my improved wear element in either instance being immovably locked in place by bending the lower ends of the depending legs at the sides of the brake head as shown in Figure 1 or beneath the lug as shown in Figure 6; while the resilient tongues 23 (which initially extend slightly into the path of the locking key) are flexed downwardly when the shoe locking key 22 is driven into place and maintain a frictional binding relation with the key and thus prevent its accidental removal.

I have shown and described what are believed to be the simplest embodiments of my invention but structural modifications are possible and may be made without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A wear element for brake heads comprising a singlepiece member composed of a laterally disposed plate section coextensive with and adapted to extend across the shoe supporting lug of a brake head, a second rearwardly off-set plate section adapted to extend into the hanger socket of the brake head and connected with the first mentioned section intermediate the ends, and a locking section adapted to effect holding engagement with the brake head.

2. A wear element for brake heads comprising a single piece member composed of a lower plate section adapted to seat on the shoe supporting lug of a brake head, an upper transversely arouate plate section adapted to extend into the hanger socket of the brake head in contact with one side of the socket and integrally connected intermediate the ends with the first mentioned a section by an upwardly disposed hanger socket restricting portion, and depending leg sections at the ends of the member adapted to effect holding engagement with the brake head.

3. A wear element for brake heads comprising a laterally elongated lower plate section provided with a locking key receiving opening and adapted to seat on'the shoe supporting lug of a brake head, an upper plate section of arcuate crosssection adapted to extend into the hanger socket of the brake head and off-set'rearwardly of the vertical plane of the lower section, a vertically disposed strap sectionintegral withthe upper and the lower sections, and integral means for effecting holding engagement with thebrake head.

4. A wear element of the character described comprising a single piece member composed of an elongated lower plate section adapted to seat on the shoe supporting lug of a brake head and having a key receiving opening, an elongated upper plate section of arcuate cross-section adapted to extend lengthwise of the hanger socket of the brake head, an intermediate vertically disposed section integral with the rear longitudinal,

edge of the lower section and with the forward longitudinal edge of the upper section, and means,

integral with the ends of one of the elongated sections adapted to effect locking engagement I with the sides of the brake head.

5. A single piece wear element of the character described comprising a plate section provided with a shoe locking key receiving opening and adapted to extend across the lug of a brake head,

and a rearwardly off-set hanger socket entering plate section provided with'bendable end portions adapted to effect holding engagement with the sides of the brake head said sections being connected intermediate their ends by a vertically disposed strap. I

MALCOLM S. JOHNSON. 

